


It had never been a gift.

by Akuma_Butler



Category: Given (Anime), Given (Manga)
Genre: AU, M/M, Slice of Life, happy couple, on tour
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:55:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25223488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akuma_Butler/pseuds/Akuma_Butler
Summary: Ugetsu and Akihiko overcame their hurtful relationship and managed to have a balanced, healthy relationship.Slice of life, one night in Europe.
Relationships: Kaji Akihiko/Murata Ugetsu
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	It had never been a gift.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fallinghigh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fallinghigh/gifts).



> Happy Birthday ❤︎

Gifted, huh? That is what everybody said, all the time. “You, sir, are gifted.” They never heard such a melody, they never felt so many things while listening to violin, they almost cried, they said. The audience went crazy when he dropped the last note. Prague, Vienna, Warsaw… in the very birthplaces of classical music, he was praised more than anyone. The media, the specialists, even other musicians acknowledged him as a prodigy. At the end of each concert, he had to cope with their comments, with their congratulations. No one in this century was able to play like he did, and that was why, they said, he was _gifted_. This word drove Ugetsu crazy. A gift ? Please, that had nothing to do with a gift. It was a burden at best, it was a curse. It had never been a gift.

These people, with fake smiles and kind words, did they know what it took to play like that ? They were sure to understand him because they shed a tear, but if they understood him, they would have thrown themselves out of a window to stop the pain. They would have screamed until their vocal cords broke, they would have run away to escape this feelings. He was not playing with his fingers and his head, when he was on stage. He was playing with his burning heart, with a devouring passion, with his guts. He was playing because if he didn’t play then, he would die. It was that simple. And that complicated.

With a smile, he received flowers and compliments every night, until a security guard shut his door down. Then, the silence invaded the room, and he finally took a deep breath. It was the best moment of the day. He just evacuated his emotions on stage, he was feeling lightheaded, relieved and, for a few hours, at peace. When he got lucky, Akihiko was with him to share these moments. That night was one of these lucky days. The drummer was sat on a couch, in the artist lodge. They were in Vienna, and Ugetsu always received the biggest room when he played at the State Opera. The monument, built in 1810, was his favourite. It was huge, and the entrance was the most beautiful he ever saw. The first time he visited the place, he was fifteen and he came with his personal teacher for a recital. He could not help but cry at the sight of the luxurious stairs, marble statues and huge chandeliers. The hostess stared at him as if he was crazy, and he wiped his tears quickly, sobbing. “What ?” he wanted to ask. “It’s a package : I am a genius at playing the violin _because_ I am able to feel in such an extreme way. So please, look away.” But he said nothing and kept going with the tour. Words were not enough to explain what he felt, anyway. No one understood him, no one ever did and it was ok, in a way. He couldn’t ask people to reach him: it would be too much of a burden for them. So he stayed alone, until he found _him_. Until he found Akihiko. Or rather, until Akihiko found him.

It was six years ago, when they were still in high school. He was practicing in the music room when the door opened on a tall, athletic blond boy. His hair were short and he wore a simple black shirt, but he had his ears pierced, giving him a touch of style. He stuttered when he saw Ugetsu, and the violinist was about to let him practice the guitar or any rock instrument before he spotted the violin case on his back.

“You don’t look like you can play the violin.” he said with a dull voice.

“I can’t.”

“I remember you from the entrance exam. Of course you can play. You were good back then.”

“Nothing compare to what I just heard. Are you okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“I am asking if you are fine. You cannot possibly be fine if you play like that. It hurts, man. Your music hurts.”

And that was it. The beginning of their passionate, difficult, hurtful relationship. Akihiko was far from feeling like he did, but he understood his emotions and he forced himself into his world. Ugetsu tried to make him go away, he tried with the worst means possible, but the blond musician stayed by his sides, taking punches without complaining. Oh, man, he made him suffer. He made him suffer more than anyone. Sometimes, he liked to think it was out of love : he wanted to protect Akihiko, and protecting him meant keeping him away. But most of the times, he had to admit it was pure hate. Was this blond guy stupid ? Why was he staying around him after what he did ? After what he said ?

“Remember when I broke all our crockery?” has asked, looking at Akihiko through the huge mirror of the lodge. They were some lights on each side of the glass, and the room felt warm.

“Why are you thinking about that now?”

Ugetsu kept looking at him, but didn’t answer.

“Don’t you go shower?” asked Akihiko in a yawn.

“Not yet. I’ll shower at the hotel.”

“Shall we go, then?”

“Why did you stay, after I broke it ? I even broke the table, and you bought another one a few days later.”

“You know, why.”

“You also stayed when I cheated on you. Every time. I came back home, bragging, and you never said a word. We had breakfast together, and you wished me a nice day before leaving for work. Why?”

“You know, why.”

“Is it because you wanted me to feel terrible? Because I did. I felt like shit every time you smiled at me with that cute face of yours. You should have hurt me even more, you should have leave me.”

“You didn’t want me to leave. You hate it, when people leave.”

Ugetsu snorted and turned around, facing him for real. The drummer was slumped on the couch. He had a calm smile, and a caring look.

“You love me that much, _huh_?” asked Ugetsu.

“I love you even more.”

“I like to hear it.”

“I say it all the time.” smirked Akihiko. They were facing each other, and the distance between them increased the tension. It was a warm, hot tension. Nothing like the cold, offensive feelings they used to know.

“I _need_ to hear it.”

“That is why I say it.”

“Say it again?”

“I love you.”

“Good. Where are we going tomorrow?”

Akihiko refrained from laughing. He loved it when Ugetsu was playing cold hearted. As if.

“You play in Krakow.”

“And then ?”

“You have to be in Berlin on Monday, and the tour ends in Paris on Wednesday.”

“Will you come with me?”

“I will.”

“Don’t you have better things to do in Japan? I thought you were in a band. Do you think you will get somewhere if you keep playing around all the time ?”

“You asked me to come with you to Paris.”

“And you accepted? That’s stupid.” Ugetsu voice was cold, but his eyes were sparkling and a smile was slightly lightening his face.

“My boyfriend was childish and he almost begged because he wanted to visit the City of Love with me. I couldn’t say no.” While talking, Akihiko left the couch and kneeled on the floor facing his lover, his hands on his cheeks.

“I didn’t beg. Paris isn’t even that beautiful.” grumped Ugetsu while trying to escape the kiss to come.

“Of course.” Akihiko said while pressing their lips together. Of course, there was nothing special Ugetsu wanted to do in Paris. Of course, he didn’t care about them going on tour together. That was the reason the violinist hid a velvet box with two rings in his suitcase before they left, while he thought Akihiko wasn't watching. Because there was nothing special between them. Of course.

**-**

**Mello**


End file.
